Ryan Patrick

Making Tax Digital (MTD) is HMRC’s programme for moving the UK tax system towards digital record-keeping and online reporting. It is not a new tax. It changes how certain taxpayers keep records and report information to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). The first major phase began with VAT. Now

For many small businesses, one of the biggest frustrations with VAT is having to pay HMRC before a customer has actually paid the invoice. The VAT Cash Accounting Scheme is designed to address exactly that problem. Instead of accounting for VAT when you issue or receive an invoice, you generally

The VAT Flat Rate Scheme is a simplified way for eligible small businesses to calculate the amount of VAT they pay to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Instead of calculating VAT charged on sales and reclaiming eligible VAT on most business purchases in the usual way, a business using the

Voluntary VAT registration allows a UK business to register for Value Added Tax even when its taxable turnover is below the compulsory VAT registration threshold. For some businesses, registering early can improve cash flow, make the company appear more established to commercial customers and allow recovery of eligible VAT on

For many UK businesses, VAT registration becomes necessary as sales grow. But the decision is not simply a matter of waiting until your bank account reaches a particular figure. The key question is whether your taxable turnover has exceeded, or is expected to exceed, the UK VAT registration threshold, currently

If your business is approaching the UK VAT registration threshold, registering for VAT is an important administrative step that should not be left until the last minute. The good news is that most UK businesses can register for VAT online through HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). The process is straightforward

No, not every UK company needs to register for PAYE. Simply forming a limited company does not automatically mean you must operate a PAYE payroll. The requirement depends mainly on whether the company makes payments to employees or directors, and the nature and level of those payments. HM Revenue and

If your UK company is about to hire its first employee, pay a director a salary, or start running payroll, you may need to register for PAYE (Pay As You Earn) with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). PAYE is the system employers use to deduct Income Tax and National Insurance

If you have recently registered a UK limited company, one of the first tax documents you will wait for is your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR). A company UTR is a 10-digit reference issued by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for the company's Corporation Tax record. It is different

If you have recently incorporated a UK limited company, you will probably come across several important numbers: your Companies House company number, VAT number, PAYE reference and, most importantly for Corporation Tax, your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR). A company UTR is a 10-digit tax reference issued by HM Revenue and

If you have recently formed a UK limited company, one of the first pieces of information you will need to locate is your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR). Your company UTR is a 10-digit tax reference issued by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). It identifies your company for Corporation Tax purposes

Starting a UK limited company involves more than registering with Companies House. Once your company becomes active, you also need to make sure HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) knows that the company is within the Corporation Tax system. The timing is important. Register too late and you may create unnecessary

If you have recently incorporated a UK limited company, registering for Corporation Tax is one of the first tax responsibilities you need to understand. The process is straightforward, but timing matters. A common mistake is assuming that incorporation automatically means you have completed every Corporation Tax requirement. In reality, your

If you run a UK limited company, you will almost certainly deal with both HMRC and Companies House. The two organisations are often mentioned together, but they perform very different jobs. In simple terms, Companies House is responsible for the public company register and corporate information, while HM Revenue &

HMRC stands for His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. It is the UK government department responsible for administering and collecting most taxes, managing customs duties, and overseeing several payments and benefits-related systems. For individuals, HMRC is the organisation behind Income Tax, National Insurance records, Self Assessment and tax refunds. For

If you are starting a company in the UK, Companies House is one of the first names you will encounter, and one you will continue dealing with throughout the life of your business. But what exactly is Companies House? What information does it hold? What does a company need to

If you run a UK limited company, you will eventually encounter Companies House forms. Some are used to appoint or remove directors. Others change a registered office, update shareholders, report new shares, amend a company's SIC code or notify Companies House that a company is being closed. The

If you need to know whether a UK company still exists, the quickest and most reliable place to check is Companies House. The public register shows whether a company is active, dissolved, in liquidation, or subject to other insolvency or administrative processes. This matters for more than simple curiosity. A

Before entering into a contract, paying a supplier, investing in a business or partnering with another company, it is worth answering one basic question: is the company actually active? In the UK, the most reliable starting point is the official Companies House register. Companies House provides free public information about

If you are setting up a UK limited company, you will encounter one number almost immediately: your company number. It may look like a simple administrative reference, but it is one of the most important identifiers attached to a UK company. Banks, customers, suppliers, accountants, government departments and Companies House

Yes. Anyone can search the Companies House register online. You do not need to be a company director, shareholder, accountant or UK resident to search for a company. Companies House operates a public register containing information about companies and certain other registered entities in the UK. Its online search service

Companies House is designed to make key information about UK companies available to the public. That transparency is useful for customers, investors, lenders, suppliers and anyone checking whether a business is legitimate, but it also means founders and directors need to understand exactly what can be seen. The important distinction

A company’s email address is easy to overlook until an important Companies House notice goes to an inbox nobody checks. For UK companies, keeping the registered email address up to date is now a formal corporate responsibility. Companies House uses it to communicate with the company, and the registered

A company’s accounting reference date (ARD) determines when its financial year normally ends. For UK companies registered with Companies House, getting this date right matters because it affects the company’s accounting periods, filing deadlines and the timing of annual accounts. The good news is that a private limited

Companies House is designed to make UK company information publicly accessible. That transparency is useful for customers, investors, lenders, suppliers and anyone carrying out due diligence on a business. But it can create a problem when incorrect, sensitive or unnecessarily exposed personal information appears on the public register. So, can